Know what to review before a real estate closing

Once you’ve found the home that you want to purchase, you’ll have to make an offer on it. If that offer is accepted, you’ll eventually go through the closing process. This is when you sign all the necessary documents to make the home yours. It isn’t as simple as just showing up and signing. You must ensure that you’re adequately prepared and that you understand what’s going to happen.

Three days before the closing, you’ll receive the HUD-1 form, which outlines the settlement for closing. This should be pretty similar to the good faith estimate that you got from your lender. If you notice anything is amiss, make sure that you address it quickly so that it doesn’t impact your closing.

The day before the closing, you’ll likely be allowed to review the property. This is your chance to ensure that the property is in the condition it should be. Verify that any issues the sellers were supposed to fix have been corrected. Double check that they have moved out unless you’ve agreed to allow them to stay past closing.

When closing day comes, make sure you have the payment for fees and the down payment in the form that’s acceptable. This might be a cashier’s check, but electronic transfers are sometimes utilized for this process.

Because this is such a large purchase, you must ensure that you’re adequately protected. Your attorney should review the documents you receive and work with you throughout the process to ensure that everything is set up in the manner it should be to reduce the chance of you finding out about issues later.